Belgium rotten meat scandal discovered in Kosovo

Belgium food authorities have closed down a meat processing plant and meat products have been removed from supermarket shelves after a worker of the Belgian company exporting meat Veviba, admitted that they have exported rotten meat in Kosovo.

The scandal broke after a Veviba customer in Kosovo that had been sent a container of rotten meat reported Veviba to the judicial authorities in 2016. The Belgian Federal Food Safety Agency was informed by it Kosovan counterpart and inspections were carried out. An employ of Veviba admitted to have exported rotten meat in all South-East Europe and Africa, but he accepted to speak only on Kosovo’s case. He said that it was Kosovo authorities which have discovered the rotten meat from Belgium in 2016 and have informed relevant authorities. The protected witness code named ‘Bruno’ told Belgium TV RTBF that the meat they processed was not designated for Belgian market. “A country has discovered the fraud with the rotten meat and an investigation has been launched here (Belgium),” the witness said admitting that he was involved in packaging the rotten meat that reportedly has been exported to Kosovo.

In his interview he said that the meat was harmful and was banned for consumption. Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency told Gazeta Express that in 2016 in Kosovo were destroyed 20 thousand kilograms of rotten meat, imported by Belgium food processing company Veviba. Spokesperson of the Agency, Lamir Thaqi, said that after the case was discovered by Kosovo authorities they have banned the company from exporting meat to Kosovo.